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FROM MTV.COM: With more than $1.6 billion in worldwide box-office gross so far, "Avatar" is the biggest movie on the planet right now. But if they haven't already seen James Cameron's latest Hollywood spectacle, the people of China are going to have a much harder time finding the movie in theaters in the coming weekend. The communist nation's state-run movie distributor, China Film Group, intends to pull the sprawling sci-fi epic from 1,628 2-D screens this weekend, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The Chow Yun-Fat-starring "Confucius," a biopic about the ancient Chinese philosopher, will take the place of "Avatar" in those theaters. Paul Hanneman, who heads up international distribution for 20th Century Fox, confirmed the news for the Times. The 900 3-D screens that "Avatar" is currently running on in China will not suffer the same fate however.

Continue reading 'Avatar' Yanked From 2-D Screens In China

Tags avatar, james cameron

What could possibly be endearing or forgivable about the actions of Maleficent, the villain at the heart of Disney's "Sleeping Beauty"? I'm not seeing much, but it turns out that Tim Burton may be looking to find the answer.

According to Ain't It Cool News, Burton's next project could be "Maleficent," a retelling of the "Sleeping Beauty" tale from the evil sorceress's perspective. It's clearly a page taken straight out of "Wicked," the "Wizard of Oz" spin-off that allows the audience to sympathize with the Wicked Witch of the West. Given how well that premise worked on Broadway, it's no wonder that Burton and Disney are looking to put that same spin on some other characters.

But Maleficent isn't the only Disney villain that could benefit from the reversal of perspective. After the jump, we've listed a few other baddies who could use a good image makeover. Read more...

Tags Maleficent, tim burton

FROM SPLASH PAGE: We crossed one name off the list of potential "Spider-Man" directors this weekend, but what about the rumored favorite for the gig, "500 Days of Summer" filmmaker Marc Webb?

MTV News caught up with Webb on the Golden Globe Awards red carpet to get his thoughts on the rumors pegging him as Sony's most-wanted man behind the camera when Peter Parker returns to the big screen in 2012.

"Of course," Webb told MTV News when asked if he was a fan of Spider-Man. "Stan Lee, big fan ... love the 'Ultimate [Spider-Man]' stuff."

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Rumored 'Spider-Man' Director Marc Webb 'Loves The Ultimate Stuff'

Tags Golden Globe Awards, Marc Webb, spider-man, Video

The weekly box office results have started to take the shape of a gladiatorial arena. "Avatar" is the champion contender, facing off each week against a new crop of fresh-faced movies that have absolutely no chance of casting a shadow across the phenomenon it has become. Yet. Perhaps the new week will see things change. After all, "The Book of Eli" came closer than any movie released since James Cameron's sci-fi epic to scoring a weekend box office win; it was just $10 million short of "Avatar"'s $41 million.

Three contenders step up to face off against the Na'vi this week. The closest competitor is probably Sony's "Legion," in which Paul Bettany stars as a machine gun-toting fallen angel, humanity's last defense against the Almighty's planned apocalypse. It sounds delightfully loony. I unfortunately haven't been able to check it out yet, but it's my probable pick for the weekend. Read more...

Tags avatar, Extraordinary Measures, Legion, tooth fairy

FROM SPLASH PAGE: On Friday, we were first to bring you the news that "Sherlock Holmes" actor Mark Strong was in talks to play Sinestro in the "Green Lantern" movie. Along with that exclusive scoop, director Martin Campbell also gave MTV News a list of characters from Green Lantern's universe that would be appearing in the film.

And while we were on the subject, we had to ask about another high-profile DC character rumored to make a cameo.

"No, that won't happen," Campbell told MTV News when asked about the chances of Superman (or possibly Clark Kent) appearing in "Green Lantern" in some form.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: No Superman Cameo In 'Green Lantern' Movie, Says Director

Tags green lantern

One of the most anticipated films of this year's Sundance Film Festival is "Cyrus," the first "studio film" from indie darlings Jay and Mark Duplass ("Baghead"). It stars Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener and Jonah Hill in a dysfunctional family comedy about the clash between a teen and his mom's new boyfriend. The fraternal filmmakers have a deal with Fox Searchlight, which is distributing that film and likely their next project as well, which we now know is a stoner comedy titled "Jeff Who Lives at Home."

Mark Duplass told Movieweb that "Jeff" is a "quest" movie, a la "The Sword in the Stone," in which a stoner seeks a bottle of wood glue. It will be produced by none other than Jason Reitman, who just won a Golden Globe for co-writing his own film "Up in the Air," and who recently oversaw production of the Megan Fox film "Jennifer's Body." Read more...

Tags Cyrus, jason reitman, Jay Duplass, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Mark Duplass

FROM MTV.COM According to the Internet, Zac Efron will have a role in the upcoming "The Hangover 2." However, according to the film's star, Justin Bartha, you shouldn't believe everything the Internet tells you — after all, if you did, you'd also be under the impression that Robert Pattinson might be joining Efron in the sequel to last year's hit comedy.

"Other people have said that, and we were at the Critics' Choice Awards the other day and I'll quote [director] Todd Phillips when someone else asked [if Zac Efron is in the film] — he said, 'IMDB is not the Wall Street Journal. It is run by a 15-year-old boy in Tampa. So be careful what you read,' "Bartha told MTV News on the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday.

Continue reading Justin Bartha Clears Up Zac Efron 'Hangover 2' Rumors

Tags Justin Bartha, The Hangover 2, zac efron

If ever there were a Daily TwitPic tailor-made for double-talk and wordplay, it's this one. Most of you readers know who Rachelle Lefevre is. At one time a noted "Twilight" actor -- the evil, red-haired vampire, Victoria -- Lefevre's role was re-cast for Bryce Dallas Howard in "Eclipse," the third installment in the series. The move caused an uproar among the franchise's vocal fanbase, sparking a series of public back-and-forth statements between Lefevre and "Twilight" studio Summit Entertainment.

In short, Lefevre is a vampire no more. And she proves it in today's Daily TwitPic. She no longer has a thirst for blood. In fact, she'd rather just get it out of her. Maybe not all of it -- that would have a negative impact on her health, I suspect -- but at least enough to help those in need. Yes, today's TwitPic shows us the lovely and talented young actress smiling widely as she engages in the good Samaritan activity of giving blood. Pic after the jump. Read more...

Tags rachelle lefevre, Twilight

In mid-December, a rumor surfaced that (now ex-)"Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire would play Bilbo Baggins in the coming, Guillermo del Toro-directed adaptation of "The Hobbit." It seemed like a preposterous idea on multiple levels, but the source -- Latino Review -- has a better track record than most of the rumor-mongers out there.

Over the weekend it came out that the rumor was, in fact, just that. Producer Peter Jackson shot off a message to Ain't It Cool News saying that, while he and del Toro are fans of Maguire, it's just not true. The "Hobbit" team is "currently auditioning for Bilbo" he said, and they're "a month or two away from any announcements." Del Toro wrote in as well, with a simple, one-sentence statement: "It's not true." Read more...

Tags guillermo-del-toro, peter jackson, the lord of the rings, the-hobbit, tobey maguire

"Paranormal Activity" isn't really a presence right now, as we swing into awards season. Still, it's hard to forget the stunning performance of a sub-$15,000 budgeted film that earned in excess of $100 million during its theatrical run. Awards-worthy or not, director Oren Peli accomplished something special with his found footage haunted house flick.

As a result of that, I'm leery of any sequel talk. Let's not forget "The Blair Witch Project," which had a similarly successful grassroots promotional campaign and budget-to-box office performance ratio. A sequel for that one dropped, "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2," and it completely abandoned the spirit of the original. I won't discount a "Paranormal Activity" sequel out of hand... but I'm uncertain. Especially with "Saw VI" director Kevin Greutert hired to direct it. Read more...

Tags kevin greutert, Michael R. Perry, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity, saw vi